


A Rite of Fire and Ice

by Akiko_Natsuko



Series: Gratsu [48]
Category: Fairy Tail
Genre: Choices, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Established Relationship, Friendship/Love, Guilt, Heavy Angst, Hurt/Comfort, Imprisonment, Loss, M/M, Missions Gone Wrong, Sacrifice
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-05-16
Updated: 2019-09-22
Packaged: 2020-03-06 07:14:50
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 10,435
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18846226
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Akiko_Natsuko/pseuds/Akiko_Natsuko
Summary: “See, I told you he was the one.” There was something about the new voice that rang out over the noise he was making that had Natsu shivering. Feeling as though he had just been doused in ice, and not in the familiar, reassuring way that came from being stood beside Gray when he was fighting beside him. A thought that immediately had his brain spiralling off in another direction, as he realised that he couldn’t smell the Ice mage or any of the others nearby. Gray…





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Divinion](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Divinion/gifts).



 

 

_Why was it that pain always returned first?_ Gray thought, grimacing as he began to claw his way back to consciousness, although he made no effort to open his eyes just yet. Instead, he tried to take an inventory of his injuries, although in that instance, as the shadows began to fall away, it felt as though every part of his body was throbbing. There was a sharper burn in his side that caught his attention, and as he took a deeper breath, testing it, the burn became lighting that lanced through his side and stole his breath. _Cracked, maybe broken,_ he thought with a scowl, knowing from experience that was going to be a nightmare to fight with. But he could do it. Noted, he moved on, noting deep bruises and some nasty cuts, the deepest of which pulled lay nestled in his hair, tugged by his facial movements as he grimaced. Well, that explained the unconsciousness and the fact that he couldn’t quite remember what had happened to him.

    They had been fighting, he could remember that much. Remembering the familiar burst of heat at his side, and Natsu’s wild roar as something had happened behind them. He had been turning, trying to see what had angered his boyfriend, and then it all went dark…

“Gray? Gray, are you awake?” The frantic whisper, far too close to his ear. So close, he could feel warm breath against his skin, and he jerked in surprise, and he would have shouted out as his head hit something solid, igniting the cut on the side of his head, but a hand clamped over his mouth, stifling the sound. “Quiet.” The warning came a second later, and he gave a soft grunt of acknowledgement, still trying to ride out the throbbing pain from the collision. Eventually, the pain eased up, and he began the laborious effort of opening his eyes.

    It took far longer than he liked, his eyes feeling as though they were sealed shut with cement, and when he had finally coaxed them open, he thought for a moment that he had failed. It was dark. Too dark. But then he blinked and blinked again, feeling heavy lashes tease his cheeks, grimacing as he realised that it was dried blood that had been holding them close.

“Gray?” The warm breath teased his ear again, not warm enough. Not the blazing heat that would come from Natsu, and as he blinked again, trying to shake the last cobwebs from his mind, he realised that it was Erza’s voice he was hearing.

“I’m awake,” he murmured, the words sounding thick and heavy in his ears, but they must’ve made sense because there was a sigh of relief.

“You had us worried when you wouldn’t wake up,” she replied, and he realised that it must’ve been her head or shoulder that he’d collided with earlier, as she let her head fall to rest against his shoulder. He moved to wrap an arm around her shoulder, only to realise that he couldn’t lift his arms, and he blinked again before looking down, trying to see through the darkness. He couldn’t, but a quick jerk of his wrists was enough to tell him that he was chained. A quick attempt to summon his magic, had him gasping and trembling, as the magical suppressant runes flared to life, blinding in the darkness and he cursed, eyes streaming. “Sorry, we should have warned you.”

“We?” He tilted his head towards her, still blinking away tears and cursing the darkness because he couldn’t make out anything, apart from what he thought must be walls, as they formed a deeper shade at the edge of his vision.

“I’m here too,” Lucy’s voice came from the darkness, and if he hadn’t been forewarned, he would have leapt a foot in the air, or tried at least. She sounded tired, and there was a tightness that he recognised from when she was injured, but if she was awake and speaking, he hoped that meant that it wasn’t too serious.  “Happy too.”

“Aye…”

“Where’s Natsu?” He demanded, not missing the fact that the Dragon-slayer hadn’t spoken up, or that there was a chill in the air around them. Silence greeted his question, and he began to struggle, ignoring the burning that started to spread through his side once more, chains rattling and then Erza moved, gripping his shoulder tightly.

“We don’t know,” she murmured, fingers tightening as she felt him stiffen. “There’s been no sign of him or anyone else for that matter.” Gray heard her speaking, the words somehow making it through the roaring sound that had flooded his ears when he’d realised Natsu wasn’t with them, but he refused to let himself process what they might mean because he knew Natsu. He knew that the flame-brained idiot would have done anything and everything in his power to stop them all from being captured, to prevent him from being caught, so for them to be here and Natsu to be missing…

_No, don’t even think about it._

“Natsu will be fine,” Lucy added. “He’s probably destroying something even as we speak, and we’re going to lose all our jewels paying for the damage.” Although she’d been aiming for hopeful encouragement, it fell flat as her voice cracked, and even the exasperation that had coloured her words lacked its usual passion.

“They should pay us double for this mess,” Erza growled under her voice, and Gray could feel her testing their restraints, as every movement she made jerked the manacles around his wrists, and from Lucy’s sharp intake of breath, it had done the same to her. “I think I will be having words with them about their definition of a ‘few’ and ‘relatively powerless’ mages.” Normally Gray would have pitied the family that had hired them to retrieve their granddaughter who had been taken by the guild they had been pursuing, but right now he was struggling to remember that they still had a job to do, the not knowing what had befallen Natsu grating at his nerves. He could cope with Natsu being captured or injured, as long as he knew, because then they could make a plan to rescue him and have a goal. Right now, they had nothing, and the chains around them had rendered them all but helpless for the time being. “Gray?”

     He didn’t reply, shaking his head when she nudged him in concern, letting his head fall forward as he squeezed his eyes shut, desperately trying to remember what had happened. Clinging to the remnant that he had because he remembered the fire and Natsu’s rage…

_But what happened to you, Natsu…?_

****

_“…. you sure about this? You were wrong about the other one, and it’s not like we can hide his disappearance.”_

_“He’s…”_

_“He’s the Salamander for god’s sake, they’re not just going to forget about him.”_

_Salamander._ They were talking about him Natsu realised belatedly, as the low, rumbling noises slowly began to transform into words, although they still sounded as though they were coming from a great distance, even as his nose informed him that at least three people were stood close to him. It took a lot to scramble his sense and trying to quell the uneasiness that came from not knowing what was happening, he forced his eyes open without preamble. And immediately regretted it, because he was surrounded by torchlight, and it seemed to him as though the light was trying to burn its way through his head, and there was no way to hide the fact that he was awake, a pained groan slipping out before he could even think of stopping it.

“He’s awake!” A panicked whisper greeted his awakening, and he snorted and would have mocked them for stating the obvious, had he not just discovered the rag that was wrapped around his mouth, cutting into the corners of his lips as he worried at it, before gagging at the taste of copper of filth. Whatever they were using had not been intended for a gag, and that combined with the throbbing that was radiating in a spider web across the back of his head, had him swallowing back the sudden need to vomit, not wanting to imagine what would happen if he did that with the gag in his mouth. Instead, he made a desperate, pleading noise through the gag, as his stomach rolled violently, rolling his eyes to try and get a clear look at whoever was there, but his eyes were still stinging and running from the sudden light, and all he could see was a blur of flame and shadows.

“We’re not ready for him yet.” Another voice added.

_Not ready?_ Natsu didn’t like the sound of that or the fact that they clearly didn’t want him awake and forcing back the nausea he tried to push himself upright. He might not be able to see, but that wasn’t the only sense he could use, and anything was better than lying here and waiting for whatever they had planned. He had barely lifted himself an inch or two before he realised that he couldn’t move more than that. A growl rising in the back of his throat, as he tugged at his arms and legs, registering the cold bite of metal around his wrists and ankles, and wincing as the resulting clank and clang of metal reverberated through his sore head.

_Enough._

    He growled again; the sound muffled by the gag as he yanked on the chains again, this time summoning his flames to burn away the chains.

Only nothing happened…

    Nervous laughter erupted around him, and his eyes narrowed, locking onto the closest shadow, wishing he could make out their face and know who it was. However, it helped just to have something to focus his anger on.

 They had captured him.

 Hurt him – because his struggles had sent flickers of pain through several points on his body.

    He roared behind the gag, not caring that it was biting deeper as he did so, filling his mouth with blood as he focused on the fire that he could feel burning steadily in his chest, and simmering beneath his skin. It wanted out just as much, roaring with him and surging up and up, only to meet an invisible barrier once more. This time he didn’t falter, slamming into whatever was holding his magic back again and again, and again, until eventually he was rewarded by the sensation of sparks dancing against his skin. It wasn’t much, but it was a start, and he knew that with a bit more effort he could burn his way out, redoubling his efforts as the laughter cut out, replaced by alarmed cries as the sparks continued to flicker around the cuffs holding him down.

“See, I told you he was the one.” There was something about the new voice that rang out over the noise he was making that had Natsu shivering. Feeling as though he had just been doused in ice, and not in the familiar, reassuring way that came from being stood beside Gray when he was fighting beside him. A thought that immediately had his brain spiralling off in another direction, as he realised that he couldn’t smell the Ice mage or any of the others nearby. _Gray…_ He renewed his efforts, thrashing against the restraints as he willed his magic to break through, wanting nothing more than to slam a fist into that person’s face and chase away the chill that seemed to have taken root, so that he could go and find his friends.

“Stop being so smug and help us before he breaks through!”

    He must be close, the fear in those words too much to have just been in response to the sparks, and he was so focused on trying to break free that he almost missed the sound of quiet footsteps moving closer, almost seeming to glide over the floor. “I do apologise for this Salamander.” There was a hand on his forehead now, one that held the same chill that the voice sent washing over him once more and Natsu tensed, blinking hard to focus on the speaker. Most of their features were cast in shadows from the flickering torches, but Natsu had a fleeting impression of dark eyes, and too thin lips drawn back in a triumphant smirk.  “But you practically delivered yourself into our hands, and we’re at the point where we can’t let such a gift slip through our fingers.”

“What do you mean?” Natsu demanded, or tried to demand, the words lost behind the gag, trying to flinch back as the hand moved, trailing patterns as it moved to his temple. It felt as though the chill was seeping in between him and his magic, the sparks flickering once, twice and then fading away and nothing he did would bring them back. The fire in his chest and beneath his skin, seeming to fade away. He could tell that it was still there, his magic still present, but unreachable. It was a terrifying sensation, leaving him feeling adrift within the confines of his own body, and he couldn’t quite hide his panic as he tried to yank his head away from the creeping, crawling touch of the fingers still tracing patterns against his skin.

“Be still.” It was a command, and Natsu was about to snarl at the man, internally scoffing at the idea that he would ever listen to someone like him. Only to find that he couldn’t move. He was still awake, still fully aware of the sounds and smells around him, and his eyes were still open. Although when he tried to blink, needing to move something, he found that even his eyes weren’t responding to his commands. Leaving him trapped, staring up into the still obscured face leaning over him.

    What had started as fear, began to blossom into terror as he frantically begged his body to move. It was no longer about escaping or summoning his fire. He wanted to blink, to twitch a toe, a finger, anything to prove that his body still belonged to him. But there was nothing. It was terrifying, especially as he realised that while he had to be breathing, he couldn’t feel the rise and fall of his chest or the movement of air in and out. _Please, stop this…_ He couldn’t voice the plea. He couldn’t even make a noise behind the gag.   _Please. Please. PLEASE!_ He was screaming in his mind now, but even his thoughts felt as though they were slowing down, his mind beginning to drift, as though it had lost its anchor. _Please…please…_

“That will hold him until we’re ready.” Natsu assumed the fingers had disappeared from his temple now, and he was almost ready to beg to feel them again, just to feel anything. Unable to do anything but watch as the man moved away, leaving him utterly alone and adrift in the prison that his own body had become.

_Gray…everyone…somebody…_

_Help me…_

****

     Gray’s wrists were rubbed raw now, rivulets of blood trickling from where the metal had bit into his skin as he struggled. It hurt, but he refused to let up. He wasn’t sure how long had passed since he’d woken up, the darkness making it impossible for any of them to mark the passage of time, added to which none of them knew how long it had been since they’d been caught. Erza had been knocked out just after she’d fallen, unable to give him any more details on Natsu other than that the Dragon-slayer had still been fighting before a spell had slammed into her and sent her spiralling headfirst into the rocky wall behind her. While Lucy and Happy had been caught in some kind of sleep magic, leaving them less injured, but still as confused over how long it had been. He didn’t particularly care how long it had been either, all that he knew was that it had been far too long since he had seen Natsu, and the continued silence around them was grating on his nerves because Natsu always fought back, always caused havoc, and if he wasn’t…

“Gray, stop it,” Erza protested, just as she had a dozen times since he’d started, only this time there was an edge to her voice that made him falter for a moment. “You’re not getting anywhere, and injuring yourself isn’t going to help anyone, least of all, Natsu.”

“But…”

“We’re going to get out of here and find Natsu,” she cut across his protest, reaching across to grasp his wrist, holding him in place as he moved to try and yank at the cuffs again. “If he doesn’t find us first.” It was meant to be comforting, he knew that, and a part of him knew that she was right. If whoever had taken them thought they’d gained the upper hand by separating them from the Dragon-slayer, then they were in for a harsh awakening, as Natsu had proved on more than one occasion that he was willing to tear the world apart for them. It was something that had only got worse after they’d started going out, not that Gray was any better, remembering the unfortunate town that was still waiting for his ice to defrost after he’d nearly frozen them all after they’d gone after his boyfriend.

_But, why Natsu?_

    That was the question that had been bugging him ever since he’d realised that Natsu was missing, and it was the reason why Erza’s reassurances and Lucy’s attempts to bolster his spirits kept falling short. Because it never boded well when one of them was targeted because of their magic. “I want to believe that,” he murmured finally, realising that the others were waiting for his reply, his hands curling into fists, and he had to take a deep breath to stop his magic from flaring, not wanting to court that pain again. “I really do, but he’s not here, and we’ve not heard anything from him. And I…” _I’m afraid of what that means._ He had never been good at expressing his fears, especially when it came to those around him, some deep-rooted part of him fearing that it would become some kind of self-fulfilling prophecy. Erza’s fingers tightened briefly, letting him know that she understood before she released him, and this time when he went to work on the cuffs again, she didn’t say a word, although even in the darkness he could feel her gaze burning into him.

_Damn it, Flamebrain, where are you?_


	2. Chapter 2

    Gray had no idea how long had passed in the dark cell. Eventually, even he had been forced to admit defeat, his wrists raw and bloody from his efforts, and exhaustion pushing him towards sleep, but he refused to give. Occasionally one of the others would try and talk to him, but he couldn’t bring himself to give anything beyond the odd grunt of acknowledgement, his voice trapped behind the ball of worry that had taken root in his chest, because there was still no sign of their captors. And more importantly, still no sign of Natsu – no distance roars, or shaking rock that usually indicated his boyfriend was on a rampage, and no warmth that once upon a time he had done everything in his power to shrink away from. If he was honest with himself the weight in his chest, the churning in his gut was no longer just worry, but fear, because he could feel the minutes ticking by, and the longer that passed without any sign of the Dragon-slayer, the more likely it was that something terrible had happened.

And he hadn’t been there to prevent it.

     The logical part of him knew that there was nothing he could have done and that the others – especially Natsu wouldn’t blame him for what had happened. It was hard to be logical when it came to Natsu. Their entire relationship seemed nonsensical at times, leaving him scratching his head when he would wake up in the morning with Natsu curled around him, peaceful and content, wondering how on Earthland they had got to this point. It confused him and warmed him in turns, and even now, he couldn’t stop the warmth that blossomed beneath the cold ball of worry in his chest. It only served to make him shiver, reminding him of just how much he had to lose. How much they all had to lose, he amended, letting his head loll slightly so that he could glance across at the others. Lucy and Happy were resting fitfully, and he knew that they would both snap awake at the slightest noise, while Erza was rigid beside him, her gaze locked on where they had estimated the entrance to be amongst the shadows that engulfed the edges of their prison.

“Erza…”

“Yes?” He could just make out her frown as she looked towards him, and he wondered what he looked like, aware of the dried blood on his face, and around his wrists from his effort. Still, she sounded as calm and collected as always, as though their current situation was nothing more than a temporary blip in the plan. He envied her calm, wishing that he could mimic it, but knowing better than to pretend as she had always been able to see right through him.

“If they’ve hurt him, I’m going to kill them.” It wasn’t what he had been planning to say, he wasn’t even sure why he’d spoken, maybe just needing to get outside his own mind before everything bubbled over. He felt more than heard her sharp intake of breath, and ducked his head, although he refused to take the words back. He couldn’t, because if he lost Natsu…

“If they’ve touched him, we will make them pay,” Erza’s voice was soft but no less dangerous for it, a promise weighing her words and he blinked and lifted his head. It wasn’t an echo of what he had said, and there was something pointed in her choice of words that told him that she wouldn’t let him go too far, but it was reassuring all the same, and he nodded, sharp and shaky before looking away again. They lapsed into silence again, but this time, he didn’t feel quite so lonely, even as his thoughts stretched out towards Natsu once more.

_Please be safe, Natsu._

****

_Natsu had felt fear before, as reluctant as he might be to admit it most of the time, even after what Gildarts had taught him. He had experienced defeat, more times than he cared to admit. None of that came close to what he was feeling right now, unable to do anything but lie there and stare at the stone ceiling above him, imprisoned within the walls of his own body. He had no idea how long had passed because each moment in this condition felt like a lifetime, and there was nothing to give him an anchor point in his line of sight, and he couldn’t even feel his breathing to count each breath. It left him feeling adrift, trapped within his skin, and yet floating lose of it at the same time._

_He had long since moved past terror, his mind blank beyond the desperate mantra of – Please…let me out. Help. Help me, Gray… If he had been able to feel himself breathing, he knew that his chest would have been tight with panic at this point, and he wished that he could feel it, just to have some sensation, as it was, he just felt hollow and lost._

_Helpless._

_Gray, please help me…_

****

   Gray must have dozed off at some point because he jolted awake as there was the rattle of metal and a door creaked open. The door to their prison he realised a second later, as bright light seared through the poorly lit room, and even though he flinched away from it, he couldn’t look away, hope blossoming in his chest as he realised that it was flames that he was seeing. “Natsu?” He called, barely aware of the others rousing around him, or the sudden tension in the chains around his wrists as Erza stiffened beside him.

It wasn’t Natsu.

    The brightness, so shocking after the dim light, slowly faded to more manageable levels and he realised that the flames he’d seen were a torch. Or rather several torches and cloaked figures stepped into the room, and for a moment he slumped, disappointment slamming into him as he realised that it wasn’t their missing Dragon-slayer. The figures, some of them still noticeably bearing the damage from their earlier fights were barely a few steps away when he came to life once more, forgetting that the chains were linked to the others as he surged forward with a snarl. “Where is Natsu? What have you done with him?”  He knew that it was futile, but still, he tried to dredge up a spark of his magic, feeling sick as the manacles glowed, forcefully suppressing it, but it didn’t show as he raised his voice again.  “Answer me!”

“You will see him soon enough,” the man closest to him murmured, almost sounding sympathetic and he seemed to hesitate for a moment, voice dropping as he added softly.  “He…”

“Enough.” The sharp command cracked out like a whip, and Gray’s eyes narrowed as his gaze shifted from the one that had been talking to him, to the hooded figure in the doorway. He couldn’t quite see the newcomers face, but he knew that this one was different. It was there in the command in his voice, the way he clearly expected to be obeyed, and his robes were different – more luxurious, and a deep golden colour, with a stitched design of gold and red on the front, a symbol that seemed vaguely familiar to the Ice Mage although he wasn’t able to place it right now. “They do not need to know all the details.” A pause, heavy with meaning and Gray felt eyes on him, the gaze making him shiver, making him feel as though he had just been stripped bare. “They’ll see for themselves, anyway, bring them…”

    That final order took the fight out of him, as he realised that they were being taken to Natsu. He just wished that it didn’t come with the feeling of dread that was taking root in the pit of his stomach because they were clearly doing something to Natsu. And he didn’t need the chill that lingered from the man’s gaze, or the chains holding them down to know that it wasn’t likely to be a good thing. It was that thought that consumed him as he was hauled to his feet, holding back the urge to struggle or lash out, especially as Erza managed to shift close enough to lay a hand on his arm in warning.

_Natsu, what are they doing to you?”_

****

    He was moving, Natsu realised belatedly as the stone ceiling that had been his world since he had been locked within his own body finally began to shift and change. There was no relief at finally seeing something new, not only because he wasn’t moving under his own steam, but worse because he hadn’t felt hands on him. Before he had been able to feel the touch, welcoming it as much as he hadn’t, and he missed it keenly now, because he wanted to feel something. _Where are you taking me? Why are you doing this?_ There were a dozen questions bubbling up, but they were trapped behind frozen lips, and all he could do was watching through blurring eyes as the smooth stone, gave way to ragged rough rock, past tiny pools of light cast by lanterns. The flames so close that he could practically feel them calling to him, the magic so close and yet so far, another tormenting reminder that he was a prisoner in his own body.

    He tried to close his eyes, to hide away from the evidence of his body being out of his control, but there was no reprieve because he couldn’t even do that. _Please._ He was scrabbling and clawing at the spell holding him in place, but he knew that it was futile, because he had nothing right now. No magic. No freedom. No idea what had happened to his friends…to Gray. And all he could do was lay there, and let whoever was moving him, take him where they wanted and hope and pray that…

_Gray…_

     It wasn’t as strong as usual, and he wasn’t sure whether that was because of the magic holding him prisoner, or something else, but it would take more than magic to stop him from recognising the scents tickling his nose as the ceiling above him shifted again, opening out into something bigger. It was terrifying in a different way now that he didn’t even have the walls of the corridor to guide his vision, but it was distant, as he focused on the wonderful, familiar scent that soared above the others – freshly fallen snow, on winter pine, with the subtle undertones of a smouldering campfire. _Gray! Gray, help me!_ It was enough to make him renew his efforts against the spell holding him in place because Gray was close, so close that he could hear him.

“NATSU!”

*

     They had been guided through a maze of rocky corridors, and Gray hoped that the girls had been paying attention to the route, because he had long since lost track of where they were, unable to focus on anything but the fact that he was being taken to Natsu. There was part of him – the part that had already lost too much, that tried to squash the flutter of hope in his chest and add weight to the dread pooling in his gut. However, a larger part of him. The part that had been nurtured by Fairy Tail, and Natsu, that blazed with hope that he hadn’t had since he’d woken in that cell because they were taking him to Natsu. They were going to be together again, and while he knew that Natsu might be injured, at least he would be there, and they would know what they were working with, which was better than floundering around in the dark.

   Lucy’s startled gasp drew him out of his thoughts, just as the path ahead of them opened out, and he was distantly aware of his mouth falling open as he saw what had caught her attention. The corridor they had been following spilling out into a vast, natural rock chamber much like the one they’d been captured in earlier. _A cave system,_ he thought, adding that to the list of things they would have to discuss with their employer if they got out of this because they had made no mention of any of this. Although maybe they hadn’t known, because something like this could never be kept secret for long, he thought, gazing wide-eyed at the cavern.

   The walls were the same rough rock, hewn by long years and nature, but here the rock was brightened by flecks of gold that caught the dancing flames of the lanterns that lined the path and marked the edge of a deep hole. There were signs of mining, but it was old and long since abandoned. What wasn’t so old was the hewn stone tablet that had been set up atop natural steps that lead to a smaller, secondary chamber, just visible from their current position. That wasn’t caught his attention, although he did note that it was empty for the time being – trying not to imagine Natsu being laid across it.

   No, what caught his attention was the shimmering wall that rose behind it. While the cavern they were in was speckled with gold, that wall was awash with it, thick veins of gold spreading out across an almost opaque surface that shimmered orange in the torchlight, and within its depth, he could make out a shadowy form. From this angle, he could tell if it was human or not, but even at this distance he could feel the magic coming from it, and he shivered, some deep, instinctual part of him knowing that they didn’t want to discover what was trapped in its depth.

“What is that?” Lucy whispered.

“I think we’re going to find out soon enough,” Erza replied, a grim sentinel at Gray’s back as her eyes swept around the cavern, searching for any weakness that they could exploit, even as her gaze was drawn back to the shimmering wall. It made her uneasy, the hairs on her arms standing upright, and for a moment she was reminded of how it had felt back on Galuna. She tried to shift closer to Gray at the reminder, but she had barely managed half a step before the chains were taut as they were all yanked across to the wall that directly faced the altar like tablet, and the shimmering war. She was about to dig her heels in and try to make use of the fact that they now had more room to manoeuvre when the Ice Mage went rigid, holding them all in place and she was turning back to see what was happening when he shouted.

“NATSU!”

   Gray’s voice was twisted with fury and fear, and it took her half a minute to realise why, as she turned to see the procession coming from a second tunnel further into the chamber. Part of her was revising her assessment of how many they were up against, but the more substantial part of her focus was on the still figure floating in the middle of the group. Natsu was as stiff as a board, and he was making no effort to free himself or to alert them to where he was, and for a moment she feared the worst, or at least that he was unconscious and therefore out of the fight to come. However, watching intently, straining against the robed figures still holding the chains taut, she realised that his eyes were open and that she could make out the slight rise and fall of his chest. _He’s alive._ It didn’t bring the relief she had hoped for in the long hours of listening to Gray desperately trying to free himself to find the Dragon-slayer, a shiver working down her spine as she stared at Natsu.

_What have they done to you?_

    Lucy and Happy were shouting for him now too, their voices echoing through the cavern, but there was still no reaction from the Dragon-slayer. No sign that he heard them, or that he even knew that they were there with him, and the shiver became a chill.

    Gray was fighting now, flinging himself at their captors as all thoughts of waiting to see what the situation was flew out of his mind, his face twisted with rage as he drove an elbow into one man’s nose, trying to wrench the chains free. “NATSU! NATSU, I’M HERE!” He was still shouting, still trying to get through to the Dragon-slayer, and Erza moved, intending to help him when another voice rang out.

“Enough!” The threat had been explicit in the voice, but it was the sight of the man who had spoken to them in their prison, his luxurious robes alight in the firelight looming over Natsu, with a curved blade pressed against the too-still Dragon-slayer’s throat.

    The fight drained out of Gray in an instant as he saw what was happening, and Erza was frozen in place, half waiting for flames to engulf Natsu’s fists and for him to punch the man across the length of the chamber. However, he was as still as ever, and she wondered if he even knew the danger he was in, her jaw clenched so hard that it ached, as they were slowly ushered towards the wall. Gray was chained in place first, and she glared at them as they were a little too rough with the Ice Mage in the process, but she didn’t dare do more, eyes flicking back to where the blade still rested against Natsu’s throat. It was enough to hold her in place as she was fixed to the wall too.

    It was only when they were all chained to the wall, that the blade was slowly lifted away from Natsu’s neck, and she couldn’t help but huff a sigh of relief. Beside her Gray had fallen back against the wall, his eyes locked on Natsu. Her heart ached at the expression on his face, sharing his feeling of helplessness, and she opened her mouth, wanting to reassure him before realising that she didn’t have the words. It was Natsu, she realised with a pang, who always knew what to say in situations like this. Who always seemed to know how to transform doubts and despair into hope and passion. And her hands curled into fists at her side as the procession, with their Dragon-slayer in the middle resumed its path towards the rock stairs.

      Here, they were finally granted a clear view of Natsu’s face, as whatever spell was holding him aloft, shifted him until he was almost vertical, as the mages around him moved up the stairs. His eyes were wide and unmoving, and painfully expressive, and Erza knew that she wasn’t the only one to gasp at the terror in his gaze. There was no denying that he was aware then, although the rest of his expression was blank, his face slack as though he was sleeping, and she was unsurprised to hear Gray growling at the sight. It was terrifying to see Natsu like that, as though some vital spark was missing, and the chains rattled loudly as the Ice Mage lunged forward as far as we could.

“Natsu! We’re going to get you out of here, just hold on a little longer for me!” He shouted, and only those that knew him would have caught the hitch at the end. Natsu didn’t even blink, or maybe he couldn’t, but Erza hoped that the fear in his eyes had abated just a little, even as she realised that for once she had no idea how they were going to keep Gray’s promise.

She just knew that couldn’t afford not to keep it.


	3. Chapter 3

_Gray, Gray was there._

    Hearing the Ice Mage’s voice had flooded him with hope. Gray was here. His friends were here, he could hear them, smell them. It was enough to have him renewing his efforts against the spell holding him in place, for all the good that it did him. He had just managed to wiggle a finger, the effort exhausting him and leaving dark spots dancing across his vision when a voice that didn’t belong to his friends lashed out. “Enough!” He trembled and hated himself for it, but he couldn’t deny the fear swirling in the pit of his stomach, even before he realised that Gray and the others had fallen quiet and that something cold and hard was pressed against his throat. Fury cut through his fear then as he realised that he was being used against his friends, that he was being turned into a weapon against Gray. And he snarled behind frozen lips, throwing himself at the magic holding in place and clawing at it.

     It seemed to waver for a moment, like tissue caught in the breeze and hope and triumph rose in his chest. _I’m going to punch you,_ he promised, clinging to that thought as he felt the blade dig a little deeper into his skin, blood welling up as it broke the. He didn’t falter, only distantly aware of the sounds of chains and his friends’ protests as they were restrained just out of his sight, not that he could have seen them even if he’d wanted to, his vision darkening with each second he spent fighting the spell. _I’m going to punch you and burn up this place. Then I’m going home with Gray._ The spell was splintering, and for a split second it felt like he could breathe, and this time when he moved to wiggle his little finger, all his fingers moved.

So did the blade.

     The pressure against his throat disappeared, but those hated fingers brushed his temple again, and it was like a wall crashing down between him and freedom. Locked in place once more, he was unable to do anything but stare up as his captor leant over him, lip curled up in a knowing smile. He had known. He had known all along what Natsu was trying to do, and he had allowed it. He had let Natsu taste a glimmer of hope, a taste of freedom, just to snatch it away again. Then the touch was gone, the man stepping out of sight, leaving Natsu with nothing but the rocky ceiling above him and the knowledge that the others were there to ground himself with.

   It wasn’t enough, and he could feel the fear rising again, blurring his thoughts, and he ached to move. Even just to be able to turn his head enough to look at Gray, but when he tried, there was nothing, no give in the magic holding him, no flicker of fire.

    Then he was moving again, unable to do anything but go where he was carried. Then the ground was rising. No, it was steps he realised, feeling the jolts and unevenness as he was carried up them, but he didn’t care, because now he could see them. He couldn’t blink. He couldn’t do anything to try and ease the sickening fear he could see in their faces as they stared at them, which only fed into his own terror, and his stomach rolled, unable to find the comfort he had been looking for even as he locked eyes with Gray. _I love you. Help me. I’m still in here._ There was so much he wanted to say that he was trying to convey through his eyes alone, but he had a feeling that it was lost beneath his fear because there was no softening in the dark eyes.

    Instead, Gray was growling, sounding so much like Natsu would usually sound in these situations that it was painful, reminding him of his current helplessness. _Gray…_ Then the Ice Mage was lunging forward, and the Dragon-slayer winced mentally as Gray was brought to an abrupt halt, seeing the pain behind the motion, but it paled to the fire in Gray’s eyes as his partner stared at him. “Natsu! We’re going to get you out of here, just hold on a little longer for me!” It was a promise, and a demand and Natsu ached, hearing the way Gray’s voice hitched at the end, the panic that he could barely hide. But it was another thought that cut deeper as the path straightened out again, and he lost sight of Gray and the others.

_I just wish I could believe you._

**

     As they lay him out on what he realised with a sinking heart was an altar, he found his attention drawn to the wall rearing up above him. It shimmered, caught in the torchlight, but it was more than that. There was magic in it. Magic that called to him. It had started as an itch, something that tugged at the edge of his awareness even as he manipulated into position, chains attached to his wrists and ankles, as though he’d stood a chance of escaping in his current state. Then as the board they’d carried him in on was removed, leaving him with no barrier between him and the altar it became a hum, one that seemed to vibrate through the rock he was bound to, through the metal holding him in place and through every inch of his body, until it felt like he would shake apart under the force of it.

_What is this?_

    It reminded him a little of the magic that he’d felt around Atlas Flame, both in Crocus and Sun village. It was undoubtedly similar, but whereas the Dragon’s magic had been welcoming, at least to him. A warmth that had reminded him of home and Igneel, this felt wrong, darkness crawling across and under his skin, and yet it still called to him, flooding him with a longing that he didn’t understand.

A siren song that he couldn’t fight.

That he didn’t want to fight.

      He didn’t even realise that the spell that had been holding him in place had fallen away at first, enthralled by the magic coming from the wall, and it was a shock to find himself turning his head towards the wall, wide-eyes seeking out the dark shape that he could now see trapped in its depths. His fingers twitched, itching to reach out and touch, even as something at the back of his mind screamed at him to snap out of it. No… it wasn’t in his mind, and as the chains rattled, stopping his efforts to reach out, he came back somewhat back to himself, realising that it was Gray that was shouting for him.

“NATSU! Natsu Snap out of it!”

_Gray…_

   It had been a long time since he had heard Gray sound that desperate, and that loosened the hold the magic on him. Realising that he had moved a second before he turned his head, wanting, needing to see Gray before he did anything else, feeling the magic calling to him, trying to lure him back. _Gray. I need Gray._ He tried to hold onto that thought, even as the magic rose to a crescendo, his entire body alight with it, and he was halfway there, catching a fleeting glimpse of his friends when hands caught his face. He hated the paralysing fear the touch ignited in him, skin crawling now before he realised that the spell hadn’t returned. It was a small comfort though as he found himself staring up at the same mage who had imprisoned him, snarling under his breath, unable to forget or forgive how he had taunted him. He was about to start shouting at him, anger cutting through his fear and the pull of the magic, when the man spoke, his voice almost gentle.

“You can hear him?” There was a longing in those simple words that made Natsu hesitate because it echoed the feeling that had engulfed him seconds before, and it was as though whatever lay in the wall had been waiting for that pause, that momentary lapse because the magic surged around him until all he could feel and hear was the magic. There was a voice within it he realised now. It was faint, as though it was coming from a great distance, and yet it seemed to Natsu as though it was all around him, echoing inside and out, and taking root amongst the fading urge to fight back against the man above him.

_Free me…_

_…save me…_

“Yes…” He didn’t recognise his own voice, and for a second he faltered, frowning at the strange, dreamy tone, and again something tugged at his thoughts, threatening to pull him away. _No!_ He wasn’t sure whether it had been in his head, but the desperation in that shout cut him to the core, whoever, was calling to him needed his help. He wanted to help. Warmth flooded him, the magic curling around him, and it was no longer an itch but a burn, heat spiralling up his body.  _Free I…fire…burn it away…_ It was becoming clearer, more insistent, and the heat was consuming him, and Natsu couldn’t think of a reason to argue, his mind hazy, unable to focus on anything but the warmth and the voice, and the sheer need to answer those pleas. To help. To burn. “I…want….” He managed to say, unable to form more words, unable to think, but the mage above him…and there was a flicker of unease, which was promptly chased away by the warmth, and the sight of the smile that greeted his words.

“And you will.” It was whispered, and almost reverent, and the hands on his face were moving now, fingers trailing against his skin. Drawing patterns, symbols that he didn’t recognise, but didn’t care about, because where they were drawn, the heat was growing. “You will bring him back to us.” Natsu was nodding, vaguely aware that there were other voices now. Not the ones from before, the ones that had been shouting at him…pleading with him to… to do what? He wasn’t sure, the question fading as quickly as it had formed, his attention to the voices he could hear now. A chorus…a chant… not loud enough to break through the voice still echoing through his mind. _Help me. Burn it away. Free Me._ But buoying it, and it seemed to him that he was floating with them, no longer bound to rock and metal, but rising, carried aloft by the heat surrounding him.

    For a blissful moment, that was his world. He was warm and surrounded by magic that danced across his skin and burrowed deep until he wasn’t sure where his fire ended, and its began. Not that it mattered. None of it mattered. This was what the magic wanted, what the voice wanted…what he wanted.

Then it burned.

    The gentle warmth became an inferno, a wildfire that not even his magic could protect him from. It seared along the pathways made by the markings that had been drawn onto his skin, before coursing down through his body, setting nerve endings alight and Natsu screamed.

Screamed and laughed and cried.

    Everything so tangled at this point that he had no idea what feelings were his, and what belonged to the owner of the magic that still sang sweetly to him through the agony, and as he thrashed against the altar, trying to escape even as he leant into the warmth, he felt something stirring in the wall above him.

****

Natsu hadn’t believed him.

    Gray had long ago learned to read the emotions that Natsu didn’t want others to see, to know what lurked beneath the constant challenges to fight, the bright smile that didn’t always reach his eyes, and he knew in that split second before their line of sight was broken that the Dragon-slayer didn’t believe him. It hurt, not least because he honestly wasn’t sure that he could keep that promise, although he had every intention of trying too, but more than that it scared him. Because Natsu was scared, and if he lost hope too…if he lost the one thing that Natsu always managed to hold onto even when everything went to hell, then Gray wasn’t sure that any of them would come back from this, and that wasn’t something he was willing to allow.

_Hold on Natsu._

    Their captors weren’t paying attention to them now, trusting in the threat to Natsu and the anti-magic cuffs to keep them subdued, and Gray’s lip curled as he leaned forward. They really hadn’t done their homework if they thought that was going to be enough to stop him, especially with Natsu involved, and keeping his eyes locked on the Dragon-slayer he flung himself forward, testing the chains, and where they were fastened to the wall. The noise it made seemed deafening in his own ears, but there was no faltering in the activity around Natsu as they carried him up the last of the stairs and began to settle him on the altar.

    Lucy and Happy were calling to Natsu again, desperately trying to get through to him, and Gray wished that he could join them, that he could lend his voice to their efforts. He knew that they were waiting for Natsu to break through this, to shatter his limits just as he always did, but there was an uneasy feeling in the pit of his stomach that told him it wasn’t going to be that simple. That whatever magic they were using to hold Natsu down was the least of their problems.

That Natsu needed him.

    His wrists and arms burned from the effort as he flung himself forward, again and again, twisting and turning, trying to find that one point of weakness that would let him break free. _Please._ He could feel blood beginning to trickle out from under the manacles again, but he ignored the sensation, instead risking taking his eyes of Natsu for a few seconds to study the chains. They looked relatively new, the rock that the anchors were set into looking freshly scarred, and he bit back a curse. Somehow, he doubted they would have gone to all this trouble, without making sure that their prisoners could escape, and in frustration, he tried to ice the manacles, his head ringing as his magic surged and then dissipated, useless against the suppression enchantment. Cursing, he shifted his attention back to Natsu, his mouth going dry at the sight of his partner stretched out and chained down on the altar, laid out like a sacrificial lamb.

But a sacrifice for what?

     Gray’s eyes shifted to the wall behind Natsu, just as the air in the cavern shifted, and it took him a moment to realise why. Magic. Pure, undiluted magic was streaming into the air, powerful enough to make him tremble, stomach-churning as it pressed against him, searching for something. Pressing deep into his body, feeling like needles tearing through flesh and he bit his lip, tasting blood as he fought the urge to cry out. Beside him Erza had gone rigid, abandoning her own efforts to test the chains, while Lucy was doubled over and trying and failing to wrap her arms around her stomach. It passed as quickly as it had come, leaving him breathless and hanging by his chains, and his eyes immediately snapped back to Natsu just as the altar blazed with light.

    It burned his eyes, and he had to glance away, and when he looked back it was to see that Natsu was finally moving. Only he wasn’t trying to escape like Gray would have hoped; instead he was trying to reach out towards the wall, and the glimpse that the Ice mage got of his face, showed that the Dragon-slayer looked dazed, as though he was still caught in a trance…and he was smiling. Not the wide, grin that Gray associated with him, or even the smaller, softer smile he got to see in private, it was somewhere between awed and giddy, and it sent a shiver down Gray’s back because it wasn’t Natsu.

“NATSU! Natsu snap out of it!” He roared. He didn’t have a clue what was happening, but he knew that Natsu mustn’t touch that wall and that right now, as trapped as they were, the Dragon-slayer needed to help them to help him.

    For a terrifying moment, he thought his words had gone unheard, but then Natsu was falling back against the altar, and then he was moving. Slowly, sluggishly, as though his body still wasn’t entirely his old, but definitely moving his head in Gray’s direction and hope blossomed, and promptly faded as the mage who had held a blade to Natsu’s throat not long before stepped up and took hold of the Dragon-slayer’s face. Stopping his movement, and learning over him, and for a moment the man looked at Gray and smiled, mocking and triumphant, and the shiver became a chill. _Natsu._ Then the moment was gone, and the mage was leaning down and talking to Natsu, the words too low for Gray to make out, but he didn’t care. He didn’t need to hear them to know that this was bad. “NATSU!” He shouted again, even though deep down he knew that it wasn’t going to be enough to break through to the Dragon-slayer this time, then he was lunging again, shoulders and arms screaming in protest.

    Other voices were rising now, the other mages that were gathered around the altar beginning to chant in low, fervent voices. He didn’t recognise the words, but he felt their effect, as the magic flooding the cavern grew stronger, swirling around, and he braced himself for more main. But this time the magic ignored them, and it didn’t take long to realise why as Natsu screamed, and for a second Gray froze, the sound cutting through him.

     He had heard Natsu in pain more times than he cared to think about, but not like this. It sounded as though the Dragon-slayer was being torn apart, and yet even as his screams rose in volume, echoing through the caves around them, Natsu’s voice shifted and broke. He was laughing, and crying, and screaming, a howling, chaotic noise that broke Gray’s heart, and his mind went blank, his gaze fixed on Natsu as the Dragon-slayer thrashed against the altar, golden fire wrapping itself around him before spreading towards the wall behind him.

_I can’t lose someone else._

     A noise that was a weak echo of the sound that Natsu was making escaped as the thought pierced through the numbness that had gripped, and something stirred beneath his skin. No, it wasn’t that he couldn’t lose someone else, it was that… _I can’t lose him. I can’t lose Natsu._ Erza was saying something to him, the words lost in the roaring sound now filling his head, and out of the corner of his eye he could see Lucy and Happy screaming and shouting.

_That won’t help him._

    He felt cold. Not, the comforting chill of his magic, but something deeper and darker. It was coursing through him, untouched by the magic-suppressing chains holding him in place. A small part of him, which sounded like a cross between Erza and Ur was cautioning him against this, but he ignored it, reaching for that cold. That darkness. Anything that would help Natsu. It reached for him in turn, and where they met it burned, and he was distantly aware of crying out, of twisting as he tried to pull away from the sensation, even as he felt the markings beginning to crawl up his arms, fighting the enchantments holding him back. Delicate webs of ice spreading across his skin, driving the burn deeper, and there was blood in his mouth again as he bit the inside of his jaw to hold back any more sounds, not wanting Natsu to hear this.

Natsu.

    Gray’s eyes flew open, unsure of when he had closed them, staring at Natsu’s twisting, thrashing form. The Dragon-slayer’s voice was raw and ragged, and his movements seemed slower, and yet the fire streaming from him was as bright as ever. _They’re taking it all._ It reminded him painfully of Edolas, and the remembered terror of how cold Natsu had felt in his hands back then, saw the ice spreading through him now, splinter outwards.

_I’m not going to lose him._

     There was a final moment of defiant resistance from the restraints holding him in place, and then the enchantments shattered, ice tearing through the manacles and sending them crashing to the ground. His ice was spreading across the wall, moving to the restraints holding the others in place, but he paid them no mind as he charged forward, with no eyes for anything but the Dragon-slayer, ice spreading outwards with each step that he took.

   The ice had reached the stairs before him, but it didn’t slow him down. Instead, it seemed to welcome him, even as it burned against his skin, colder than his magic had ever run before, but he didn’t falter. The chanting was faltering now, as he had made no effort to hide his approach, and the first mage to try and block his path was frozen instantly as he stepped on the ice seeping across the ground, and Gray barely spared him a glance. The altar was within reach now.

Natsu was in reach.

“NATSU!” Natsu’s gaze flickered to him, and Gray flinched. There was no recognition, no relief that Gray was there; instead Natsu’s eyes were wild, pain and fear mixed with an unnerving elation, the olive framed with red where blood vessels had burst. He didn’t waste his breath on more words, not sure that he any, instead he ducked a blow, punching the mage that tried to hit him again, ice encasing the woman’s chin and cheek and then splintering as she fell. He ignored the rest, and threw himself forward, aiming for the altar itself.

    The fire engulfing it and Natsu scorched his arm, and he bellowed in agony even as his magic moved to try and shield him, but he didn’t falter. His fingers brushing burning rock just as the mage who had threatened Natsu earlier reached him, he’d braced for a punch, ready to take it just as long as he could do something to shield Natsu, and he was caught by surprise by the seemingly gentle brush of fingers against his temple.

Then he was falling.

    His entire body going rigid, and in a single, terrifying moment, he realised what had been done to Natsu, because even with his magic around him, he couldn’t move. He couldn’t catch himself, vision blurring as his head caught the edge of the altar, even his breath seeming to catch in his chest. But it didn’t matter, because he had already touched the altar, his raging magic surging ahead of him, and even as his connection with it faded, trapped within the spell, the ice spread out, and he could still feel it even though he couldn’t see it from his current position. Feeling it flow between Natsu and the stone, seeping into the space between the Dragon-slayer’s skin and the chains, a protective shield from the magic draining him, and for a second the golden fire flickered, and the magic saturating the air seemed to hesitate.

Unfortunately, the ice was part of him, as much as any other part of his body, and it was now standing between the strange magic and the fire magic it clearly wanted. And even though it was only a temporary protection, the combination of Natsu’s flames and the other magic already eroding the edges, the magic shifted its attention to the mage that had dared to interfere, golden fire lashing out like whips towards the immobilised Ice Mage.

Gray screamed.


End file.
